Alleged mobile phones thief to plea
A YOUNG man accused of stealing two mobile phones from two people at different occasions this year in Honiara will plea to the allegations, on November 30.
Carlson Talafu, 19, is facing two counts of simple larceny.
He appeared in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court and his matter was further adjourned for plea.
This was after a lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s Office confirmed representing the accused.
Talafu is co-accused with three other men, Kelly Ronnie, Robert Kimaere Jnr and George Dele in relation to the first incident.
The first incident allegedly occurred at the Honiara main market on 29 September 2021.
Prosecution alleged Carlson’s co-accused distracted the complainant while Talafu pulled out a phone from her bag.
A man standing in the crowd saw what the accused did and followed the woman from the main market to Honiara City Council (HCC) area where he informed the woman what had happened.
They informed the HCC law enforcers and they all returned to the market area.
At the market, the person who witnessed the incident pointed out the four accused to the law enforcers.
The four accused were then escorted to the Central Police Station where they were arrested, charged and released on bail to face court at a later date.
They, however, failed to turn up in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court for their first appearance which resulted in the court issuing arrest warrants for them.
While the arrest warrants are still pending to be executed by the police, Talafu allegedly stole another phone from a man at the Flamingo nightclub.
Talafu was caught after he made calls from the complainant’s phone to the contacts on the phone in an attempt to sell the phone.
Police Prosecutor Moffat Tei is prosecuting.
Trial on Jejevo mining row tomorrow
THE trial of the five men accused of damaging properties of families in Jejevo Village in Isabel Province over a mining row in March has been deferred to tomorrow.
The adjournment was sought by the prosecution yesterday to give them more time to conference their witnesses.
Prosecution is intending to call more than 20 witnesses at the hearing before Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison.
Jimmy Taea, Tony Godwin, Hamilton Puza, Joseph Sago and Steward Gift are each facing one count of going arm in public, 13 counts of willful and unlawful damage and three counts of simple larceny.
The alleged incident occurred on 8 March 2021 between 2pm and 3pm at Jejevo Village, on which, the men denied the allegations.
It was said that the Jejevo community and the security firm providing security for the Sunshine Mining Company Limited once had a resolution through dialogue and agreed to varnish off their differences.
And that is for the Sunshine Mining Company Limited to stop its operation whilst waiting for the outcome for the court’s decision on 12 April 2021.
Prosecution alleged that the request was respected at first but a week later it was alleged that the mining company operated again and this had again sparked problems.
This allegedly resulted in Jejevo community getting hold on three petrol drums belonging to the mining company with the understanding that this would halt the company operation.
However, it was alleged that on 8 March this year, about 20 men including this five accused left Furona and went to Jejevo armed with weapons such as knives, spear guns, spears, axes and rocks.
They allegedly went and destroyed a number of properties belonging to 13 families in Jejevo Village.
They also allegedly stole properties of three people.
The total value of properties destroyed is $350,000 while the total value of the stolen items is more than $67,000.
